A file photo of the lions at Mysuru zoo.
Sakkarbaug zoo in Gujarat is giving two pairs under an exchange scheme
The century-old Mysuru zoo will will soon be getting four young Asiatic lions from Gujarat.
The Sakkarbaug zoo, a conservation centre for the endangered Asiatic lions, has come forward to give the two pairs of carnivores in return for a pair of hippopotamuses, and Indian gaurs (one male and two females).
The Asiatic lions, listed as an endangered species, live only in the wild in Gir forest in Gujarat.
The Sakkarbaug zoo has bred many lions in captivity and released them into the Gir forest to increase their numbers. It has also given the lions to other Indian zoos under exchange programmes.
A delegation from Zoo Authority of Karnataka (ZAK) went to Ahmedabad to formally receive a letter on the exchange of animals from the Gujarat government. The team visited Sakkarbaug to see the lions that are going to be exchanged.
Mysuru Zoo Executive Director Ajit Kulkarni, who received the letter from authorities, told The Hindu from Ahmedabad that the exchange will boost the zoo’s captive breeding plans and also add attraction to the visitors.
“We will work out the logistics on bringing the animals to Mysuru. It will take sometime and we will finish all formalities by then,” he said.
The Mysuru zoo received a pair of lions from the Sakkarbaug zoo under the exchange programme a few years ago. Gowri, a lioness, suffered a health problem and did not recover fully despite constant treatment. She delivered a cub, which died sometime later. Gowri has been kept off display and is housed in an enclosure at the zoo’s hospital.
Only a few Asiatic lions are left both in the wild and in captivity since their breeding in captive conditions has been considered a big challenge.
Mysuru zoo housed Asiatic lions three decades ago. They could not breed. It had in its collection cross-bred lions before it was successful in getting an Asiatic lion pair from Sakkarbaug.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/mysuru-zoo-to-get-four-asiatic-lions/article27944129.ece
The Sakkarbaug zoo, a conservation centre for the endangered Asiatic lions, has come forward to give the two pairs of carnivores in return for a pair of hippopotamuses, and Indian gaurs (one male and two females).
The Asiatic lions, listed as an endangered species, live only in the wild in Gir forest in Gujarat.
The Sakkarbaug zoo has bred many lions in captivity and released them into the Gir forest to increase their numbers. It has also given the lions to other Indian zoos under exchange programmes.
A delegation from Zoo Authority of Karnataka (ZAK) went to Ahmedabad to formally receive a letter on the exchange of animals from the Gujarat government. The team visited Sakkarbaug to see the lions that are going to be exchanged.
Mysuru Zoo Executive Director Ajit Kulkarni, who received the letter from authorities, told The Hindu from Ahmedabad that the exchange will boost the zoo’s captive breeding plans and also add attraction to the visitors.
“We will work out the logistics on bringing the animals to Mysuru. It will take sometime and we will finish all formalities by then,” he said.
The Mysuru zoo received a pair of lions from the Sakkarbaug zoo under the exchange programme a few years ago. Gowri, a lioness, suffered a health problem and did not recover fully despite constant treatment. She delivered a cub, which died sometime later. Gowri has been kept off display and is housed in an enclosure at the zoo’s hospital.
Only a few Asiatic lions are left both in the wild and in captivity since their breeding in captive conditions has been considered a big challenge.
Mysuru zoo housed Asiatic lions three decades ago. They could not breed. It had in its collection cross-bred lions before it was successful in getting an Asiatic lion pair from Sakkarbaug.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/mysuru-zoo-to-get-four-asiatic-lions/article27944129.ece
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